I’m amazed at how patient the boar is with all the piglets.  He doesn’t act very paternal; I’d actually anthropomorphize his relationship as more avuncular than patenal.  Which is to say he isn’t involved in their care and maintenance, but he plays games with them occasionally and shows up for birthday parties where he wins their affection by demonstrating his ability to burp his way through the alphabet.  You know, that kind of uncle.

A half dozen piglets are seen here interrupting his nap poking him in the belly to see if he had milk in his teats (sorry piglets, it doesn’t work that way) while three others were take turns biting him on the snout.  A ten pound piglet obviously can’t do much harm to this 700 pound lunker, but he took it all in stride.  He’d toss them off when they got too rambunctious, but he was measured in the force he used.

For us there is considerable peace of mind in having a boar that is gentle by temperament.  He has the size and the teeth to wreak destruction, but he is an easy-going guy who is happy with life as long as his basic needs are met.